1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer cartridge, and more specifically, to an integrated cartridge having both a paper cassette and a ribbon cassette.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Integrated cartridges contain both printing material such as paper and imaging material such as ink film or ribbon. These cartridges are commonly used in printers that utilize a thermal print head. Integrated cartridges are time saving and convenient when compared with using two separate cartridges, as the user is only required to install and maintain one cartridge.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art integrated cartridge 20. The printing cartridge 20 comprises a paper cassette 21 for holding printing paper and an imaging material cassette 22 for imaging material. The imaging material is stored on rollers 23 and can be ink film, ink ribbon, or a similar roller based material. Disposed between the paper cassette 21 and the imaging material cassette 22 is a guide opening 24a, which has a paper inlet 24b at the upper end, and a paper outlet 24c at the lower end. Supporting the printing paper in the paper cassette 21 is a paper support plate 25a connected to and pivoting about a pin 25b. The pin 25b is attached at each end to the paper cassette 21.
Under normal installation, the printing cartridge 20 is disposed inside a printer 30, as shown in FIG. 2. The printer cartridge 20 is supported by support brackets 31, which are attached to the printer 30.
During operation of the printer 30 when a sheet of paper (represented by a dashed line in all figures) is to be supplied, a lever 32 is rotated upwards to raise and tilt the paper support plate 25a, which is caused to rotate about the pin 25b, as shown in FIG. 3. The top sheet of paper P is then brought into contact with a paper supplying belt 33. The paper supplying belt 33 feeds the sheet of paper, which is first diverted by a guiding plate 34, into the paper inlet 24b of the guide opening 24a. The sheet of paper is discharged out of the guide opening 24a through the paper outlet 24c and is taken up by a capstan roller 35 and a pinch roller 36. In this way, the sheet of paper is supplied to a platen roller 37 and a print head assembly 38.
After the sheet of paper has been supplied, printing to that sheet of paper may commence, as is illustrated in FIG. 4. The platen roller 37 rises to press the sheet of paper against the imaging material 1. The print head assembly 38 lowers to support the imaging material 1. Printing is carried out normally with the sheet of paper being taken up by a discharge belt 39, and the flow of the sheet of paper being the reverse of that during supplying. The sheet of paper is ejected out of the printer 30 by the discharge belt 39 when printing is complete.
The prior art integrated cartridge lacks a compact form for efficient storage.
It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide an integrated cartridge, comprising both a paper cassette and a ribbon cassette, capable of being reduced in size for storage.
According to the claimed invention, an integrated cartridge for a printer includes a paper cassette for placing paper and a ribbon cassette for positioning a ribbon. The ribbon cassette has a first reel and a second reel, on which a ribbon is positioned. The integrated cartridge further includes a brace having a first end connected to the paper cassette and a second end connected to the first reel of the ribbon cassette. The second reel of the ribbon cassette is capable of moving relative to a position of the first reel so as to reduce a space occupied by the integrated cartridge.
It is an advantage that the claimed invention uses a movable second reel in the ribbon cassette resulting in reduced space occupied when stored.
These and other objectives of the claimed invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.